The INMO has announced it will take part in a lunchtime protest outside of St. Monica’s Nursing Home, Dublin 1 at 1 pm today (Friday) to highlight the fact that over 200 staff are being made redundant and 160 beds will be lost from the system due to the closure of three health care facilities owned by the Sisters of Charity. Staff affected by these closures have been working in St. Monica’s Nursing Home, St. Mary’s Centre Telford, and Caritas Convalescent Centre.
The INMO is calling on the HSE to step in and take over the running of these facilities to protect services for patients and maintain employment. The organisation is also concerned that any reduction in step-down and nursing home beds will have a serious impact on the acute hospitals and emergency departments which are already severely overcrowded.
The INMO is also calling on the Sisters of Charity to pay a redundancy package in line with the public sector terms.
Speaking this morning, INMO Assistant Director of Industrial Relations Lorraine Monaghan said:
The Sisters of Charity along with the HSE as the main funder need to step up to their responsibilities and pay staff what the Labour Court considers appropriate and reasonable.
She continued:
The Sisters of Charity have relied on the dedicated staff in all three facilities over the years to provide the highest standard of care to patients. In recent months, these frontline workers have exposed themselves to the risk of contracting Covid-19. In Caritas, one-third of the workforce contracted the virus. Despite the proven dedication of staff, the Sisters of Charity have turned their back on them and have left them without employment and without payment.
On a broader perspective, Ms. Monaghan added:
The State must intervene and take over the running of Section 39 and private sector organisations that close to ensure that patients are secure in these services and employment is maintained.